Story of Chirakari in the Mahabharata is found in the dialogue
between Bhishma and Yudhisthira after the Mahabharat war.
A wise, young ascetic Chirakari, finds himself in a tricky
situation when his father, suspecting his wife’s fidelity, tells him to kill
his mother, and then angrily goes to the forest.
The son, true to his name Chirakari (one who deliberates
thoroughly before deciding), always takes his time to analyze the pros and cons
of any issue before arriving at any conclusion, and then acts only after due
contemplation.
Here he was caught in the crosscurrents of allegiances:
memories of his mother’s selfless love competing against the respect he owed
his father.
Reeling under great stress, the young ascetic continued to
mull for days on end over the options available to him, ultimately deciding to
abide by the command of his father.
He procured a sharp sword, which he spent endless hours
honing and filing, driven by the thought of sparing his mother any more pain
than one swift flourish of the sharpest steel would cause.
Days rolled by, but the instrument was not yet ready.
In the meantime, while the elder stage was in the forests,
he received a providential revelation about the innocence of his wife. Deeply
regretting the hasty decision he had made, the sage rushed back to the hermitage.
The sage was happy to see his wife alive. Overcome by joy,
he hugged both is wife and son. The sage regretted his hasty decision and
lauded the young ascetic’s wisdom in letting serious contemplation take precedence
over action.